Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 3: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

-_ Se Pee sme — re re — ittin monotonous, A court in ther mornin’! | t’s git at ther bottom ov this thing.” “The old feller might shoot,” ventured a lis- tener, “Shoot! Pshaw! What’s one man ag’in’ eighty?’ was the contemptuous rejoinder. ‘“‘ He’s got more sense than to buck ag’in’ the hull outfit ov Gold Valiey.” The proposition put forth by the man who wanted a court was favorably received by all who beard it, and when the sun again rose on the mining town at the foot of the mountains, it was plainly seen that some exciting events were about to take place, The eyes of more than fifty men were fixed on a certain cabin, the door of which was closed. **He’ll come out pretty soon,” passed from lip to lip as the desperadoes of Eldorado watched the but. ‘We mustn’t tackle ‘im too fresh, fur, as Ned remarked last night, the shootin’ may begin too soon,” “Thar he is!” The cabin door eg? | opened, and the im- posing figure of Old Wircch was in full sight. He seemed to take in the situation ata glance. The attitude and the looks of the men by whom he was confronted must have told him that a critical moment was approaching. “They’re up to suthin’, gal,” he said in atone which the men of Eldorado did not hear, for he y Hae over his shoulder to some person in the epths of the cabin, ‘“*Git yer revolver an’ fol- ler me, We might ez well deal with the Gold Valley boys now ez at some other time.” There stepped to his side the next moment the fairy-like form of Gold Georgie, She did not quail when she saw the miners, but sent a look of trust and confidence up into her old guardian’s face. They stepped from the cabin side by side. Tbe old man carried his heavy rifle half care- lessly in the hollow of his left arm, but those who looked closely saw that his bronze fingers rested near the trigger. ‘I don’t see Plumas Roy, gal,” he remarked to his companion. ‘* Thet ain’t the kind ov crowd thet the boy mixes with; but he’s not fur off. We'll find him on hand when he’s wanted,” The assembled roughs almost held their breath when they beheld Old Winch and the girl com- ing boldly forward. ‘Jes’ ez | told you last night,” whispered a boyish miner, “Thar’s ‘shoot’in Old Winch’s eyes, an’ suthin’ ov ther same sort in the gal’s. We kin try ’im fur stealin’, but thar’ll be lively times in camp when we go to Carry out the sen- tence,” . “Never mind that,” was the reply “ When eighty men can’t hang one, we'll burn El- dorado, an’ leave it to the b’ars,” By this time Old Winch and the girl had ad- vanced to within twenty feet of the foremost of the duly organized Jynch court whom they looked fearlessly in the eye. ““Cap’n, you will excuse us, but this ar’ a court,” said the burly ruffian, who took a step toward the pair. “That girl ar’ yours by no right. You've stolen ber an’ we've organized a court whar she kin git justice. What's yer plea —guilty or not guilty?” A broad smile overspread Old Winch’s face. His eyes twinkled merrily for a moment, then flashed: ‘“‘Ask Gold Georgie!” he exclaimed, as he stepped back and waved his band toward the irl. ‘Ask her if Old Winch hez kidnapped er. If she says he hez, you kin pass in the verdict at once an’ perceed to bizness. There was confidence in the veteran’s voice. He was not afraid of his protegee’s answer. ‘**T will an wer for him,” responded the pl, in ringing tones. ‘* We are friends, I am here because vengeance has brought me to Gold Valley! I am not a stolen child. The lips that accuse Old Winch of kidnapping tell a falsehood as dark as the heart that prompts them. Men of Eldorado, we are not going to tarry with you iy 2 The mission that brought us to your camp last night is almost accom- plished. If nothing prevents, to-morrow’s sun will see us far from bere.” “That's all pretty talk from a gal’s ez well trained ez thet one seems to be! cried the spokesman of the court, with a glance at Old inch whose A hen had remained fixed proudly on the girl while she spoke. “She isn't yer child, old man—” “ That’s a fact! Gold Georgie is too good to carry a drop ov Old Winch’s reugh blood in her veins, but she’s all the world me, any- how, an’ I’ve sworn to see her through it to the best of an old b’ar-bunter s ability.” . Old Winch, the Rifle King. The roughs of Gold Valley were nonplused for a moment. ‘The court wants proof that the gal hezn't been kidnapped,” persisted the spokesman. ** We hev yer word. Proof old man—proof !” ‘Then Gold Georgie has lied, eb?” thundered the Old Rifle King, and before a single mem- ber of the mob could lift a hand the cock of bis deadly weapon clicked as the weapon struck his shoulder. ‘' May it please the court, I hold in my hands an argument thet hez convinced many a man thet he insults Gold Georgie at his peril. Her word is better than mine, for I might lie under some circumstances, but a lie would starve to death in her heart. I say, ag’in that she’s not a stolen gal, but whose child she is is the bigness of no man who looks into the muzzle ov my shooter! I plead not guilty; now go on with yer court!” What could the roughs of Eldorado do? Their hands touched the butts of their revol- vers, but not one wasdrawn. More than one- half of their number had instinctively recoiled from the muzzle of Old Wiuch’s rifle, and the rst were nonplused. + Mah es eS ts stepped in front of the girl, whose figure his body completely covered; his cheek rested on the stock of his rifle and his eagle eye flashed along the polished barrel. How the menace would bave terminated if a certain event bad not occurred, no one could have known. All at once a wild shout came up from the southern limits of the camp, and those who turned in that direction saw a horse advancing at full speed. A moment later every bod M noticed two things, -~that the animal was bridleless, and that a hu- man coe was lashed to his back. As the horse dashed straight toward the lynch court in the main street of the camp, cries of “clear the track!” rose on every side, and men who hid faced revolvers without a sign of fear ak ha of the wild steed’s path. The horse came on like an animal goaded to madness by a score of spurs. With dilated eyes and distended nostrils, and flecked with patches of bloody foam, he shot be- tween the lines mechanically formed on either side of the street. “Great heavens! a masked Mazeppa!” sud- denly ejaculated Gold Georgie, as sbe turned pale and clutched Old Winch’s arm. The man lashed to the steed’s back by several lassoes was indeed what the girl had termed him —n masked Mazeppa. Stripped to the waist, bis skin, where it was not gashed by the fiendish ropes, fairly glist- enedin the sun. His hair, long and dark, float- ed in the wind like the black pennons of a pirate crest, but his face—ah! that was not to be seen It was masked by a piece of dark cloth that completely hid it. Nvuta feature was visible. The hopeless expression of the eyes and the firm set lips no one could see. That the unknown a a bad suffered and was still suffering untold agony, the hands buried as it were into the flesh of the horse told all who looked. ‘* Stop bim!” yelled a dozen men as the borse reached the head of the living lane. Brave would be the man who would attempt such a thing; and the consequence was that not & person stirred, dozen bounds carried the steed beyond reach, but he did not leave the living lane un- til from the lips of the unwilling rider a wild cry had sounded on the air: ‘Help! help! for the sake of heaven! If I am among men who will not save me, send a bullet through my head.” Not a word escaped a single ear in all that breathless crowd. “Pil do him the favor!” fell from Old Winch’s lips. ‘Better a bullet through the brain than ter be chawed up by-wolves in the mountains.” Nobody interposed a hand as the old man attempted to cover the masked Mazeppa with his deadly rifle. He turned his back on the wild men he faced a moment before. Had he forgotten that the entire sixty thirsted for his blood! For several seconds the old mountain man looked over his rifle’s barrel; his was no steady target. “Now!” he said at last in tones which only Gold Georgie heard. The crack of the rifle followed, and those who were looking saw the head of the nown jerked suddenly to one side! A light cry fell from the girl’s lips nes Old ch lowered bis gun and glanced at his protegee. : ae 3 ———— 5 oe e ‘‘Tt wasn’t a death shot, Georgie,” he whis- red ‘‘Let the roughs ov Gold Valley think it was, if it 11 do ’em any good.” Gold Georgie gave her protector a look which told him that she was thankful that his bullet had not put an end to the masked Mazéeppa’s career. * You grazed his head, that was all,” said the young man who step to Old Winch’s side a moment after the shot. The old hunter and the girl recognized the speaker in an instant. He was Plumas Roy. CHAPTER Ul, THE TRAIL OF THE MYSTERY. AN event like the one just recorded bad never before happened in Eldorado. The scene of a wild borse bearing through the camp an unknown man lashed to his back with Jassoes was enough to startle every spectator, and threw the whole place into a state of in- tense excitement, Old Winch and Gold Georgie were for the moment forgotten. The horse and bis rider had disappeared, but some of the roughs were still looking down the a as if they expected to see the scene re- acted, But the borse did not come back. we ‘*What do you think, Plumas?” asked the old bear-bunter, looking down into the handsome face of the youth who stood at bis side. **T bardly know,” was the reply. ‘* How was the victim dressed from bis waist down? I did not get to see much of him,-you know.” © “He wore dirty buckskin pants, but his skin was white as a waterily. He’s no Greaser, Plumas; he bad the skin of a gentleman.” A strange light litup the youth’s eyes. Old Winch did not notice it, but it did noteseape the girl’s observation. Meanwhile, one of the men of Eldorado lad hastened to the corral and mounted a borse whose limbs were indicative of great speed,” “TI can’t gef the idea out ov my head,” said this man, who was Modoc, the burly fellow we bave already met. ‘I didn’t see the man’s face —that’s a fact; but I saw enough to set me to thinkin’. If it war the cap’n, I must catch ‘im. The bullet fired by that gray-bearded old devil didn’t do more than pass nigh his bead. Tre boys all say so, an’ so dol,” — The horse was soon bearing Modoe down a narrow road that ran between the rear of the cabins end the foot of the mountain slope, In a few moments he struck the trail lately traveled by the unknown Mazeppa. Then he gave his brave steed the spur, and not until ut the end of ten miles did Modoc draw rein, — He had not overtaken the masked Mazeppa, he bad not even canght sight of the peor wretch! ' . ‘**Thet boss must hey sinews ov steel,” he exclaimed, ‘‘ Hyar I am in Injun Canyun, an’ not a hair ov ‘im hev I seen since I left Eldorado.” The place called Injun Canyon was wild ‘yr icturesque. It was about ten miles from Idorado. Perpendicular cliffs towered for a thousand feet above the rough’s head, and the canyon was so dark that he could lookup and see stars glimmering in the lofty heavens although tbe hour was approaching bigh noon, Modoc had not counted so much on the éndur: ance of the borse he had followed: in other words, he had expected to overtake the strarce Mazeppa sae before reaching Injun Csnyon. His own 8 was well blown, and flecked with foam and sweat, he stood in the narrowroad panting heavily, like an overrun bunter, © All at once be pri: ked up his ears, and: Modco uttered an exclamation of surprise. o ‘*Hear suthin’, eh?’ be said, addressing’ the steed.“ Whatef the boss an’ his rider should be comin’ back? By Jove! if they ar’) T)) find out whose face war covered. I’m byar fur thet very purpose, an’ I'll not go back to Eldorado without knéwin’!” , The rough drew a revolver and gazed down the canyon, for something was approaching. There was an echo between the lofty walls, an the galloping of a horse through the gloomy place would bave filled it with many s6uride. But no horse was coming forward at a gallor; on the contrary, the sounds indi¢ated th approach of a steed almost exhausted by hard runping. : oreo so Bope it’s the wild hoss,” Modoe said, ex- eee every minute to eatch sight of ithe orse. ‘‘ It’s some animal nearly played out— thet’s mighty plain. Mebbe—thar he is at Jast, by bokey!” an | Yes, the horse bad cppeared and, to Modoe’s "“GOl|Tr * f JOCKS: com